TEHRAN- The investment contract for establishing a logistics center of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the hinterland of Shahid Rajaei Port, in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, was signed in a ceremony attended by the head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO), and Ontalap Onalbayev, the Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Tehran.

Hossein Abbasnejad, Director General of Ports and Maritime Department of Hormozgan Province, had said earlier on Sunday morning: "Negotiations and coordination with the Kazakh side have been ongoing for about a year, and preliminary memorandums of understanding were signed earlier. Today, this contract will be officially signed."

He added: "This project involves the construction of a logistics center at Shahid Rajaei Port on an area of about 15 hectares, which will serve as a link in the chain of logistics centers in Kazakhstan, origin ports, and Shahid Rajaei Port for the development of transit."

Referring to the investment amount for this project, he said: "The investment is about $25 million, which will be made as foreign direct investment by the Kazakh side."

Abbasnejad described this project as one of the few examples of foreign direct investment in Iran's ports in recent years and added: "In this project, unlike some past projects, 100% of the investment is made by the Kazakh side."

He continued: "A construction period of two years has been considered for this project, after which operation will begin. In the operational phase, the annual transit volume is estimated at about 1.5 million tons, which has the potential for increase and expansion."

The Director General of Ports and Maritime Department of Hormozgan Province stated: "The contract duration is 27 years, which will include about 25 years of operation, and provisions have been made for review in five-year periods according to future conditions and increases in transit volume."

Back in last December, Mohammad Ali Dehghan-Dehnavi, deputy industry minister and head of the Trade Promotion Organization (TPO), said: “Trade ties between Tehran and Astana are entering a more dynamic phase following the recent presidential visit to Kazakhstan, with both sides seeking to expand economic cooperation through logistics projects and regional partnerships.

He said: “Cooperation between provinces of the two countries was a key pillar of bilateral trade policy, adding that political relations had outpaced economic ties despite strong potential.”

Speaking at a meeting on logistical cooperation with Kazakhstan, attended by senior officials and business representatives, Dehghan-Dehnavi said closer coordination and joint infrastructure projects were needed to rebalance economic relations and raise trade volumes.

In mid-December 2025, Private-sector representatives from Iran and Kazakhstan signed nine cooperation agreements during a visit by a trade delegation from the Iran Chamber of Commerce to Astana, aimed at expanding bilateral business ties.

The delegation, led by ICCIMA Head Samad Hassanzadeh, included chamber officials and business representatives from engineering services, agriculture, food industries, mining and mineral sectors. Participants held B2B meetings with Kazakh counterparts to explore joint projects.

Iranian delegation accompanied President Masoud Pezeshkian in his visit to Kazakhstan during which the two countries Joint Economic Committee meeting also convened.

The Iran Chamber of Commerce signed three memorandums of cooperation, including two with KazTrade and the Kazakhstan Trade Development Council and one with the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Atameken, covering trade data exchange, business delegations, logistics and green freight transport.

Six additional agreements were signed between Iranian and Kazakh companies in sectors including agriculture, mining, copper production and food processing. One of the deals is valued at more than $1 billion.

EF/MA